The Trump administration has attempted to impose policies that are hostile to pro-Palestine protests and diversity initiatives, but District Judge Allison Burroughs’ decision on Wednesday was a significant setback.
Burroughs explained in her order that the funding cuts violated the US Constitution’s First Amendment, which guarantees free speech.
The order states that “the Court vacates and sets aside the Freeze Orders and Termination Letters as violating the First Amendment.”
On or after April 14, 2025, Harvard has received any freezes or terminations of funding that were made in accordance with the Freeze Orders and Termination Letters.
Burroughs also refuted the Trump administration’s claims that Harvard had to stop denying its grants to do so in order to confront campus anti-Semitism. She instead cited a person’s ulterior desires.
According to Burroughs, it is difficult to draw any conclusions from the administrative record other than that defendants engaged in antisemitism as a pretext for a disproportionately ideologically motivated assault on this nation’s top universities.
Trump’s administration’s efforts to have greater control over higher education have been at the forefront of his administration’s efforts to do so. However, those actions were criticized as a violation of academic freedom and freedom of expression.
In response to threats to reduce federal funding, other prestigious US universities have entered into agreements with the government.
For instance, Columbia University consented to pay the Trump administration $ 220 million and follow administration demands, including changes to its disciplinary procedures and the appointment of a new provost to ensure “balanced” curricula.
Brown University also reached a compromise to get its money back, including paying Rhode Island’s workforce training programs $ 50 million.
Meanwhile, the University of Virginia’s president resigned in June amid a Department of Justice investigation into its diversity programs.
Trump has targeted Columbia and other schools because of their prominent roles in the anti-war demonstrations that broke out after Israel declared its occupation of Gaza in October 2023.
According to the Trump administration, those demonstrations created an unsafe environment for Jewish students and promoted anti-Semitism. However, those claims have been refuted by student activists.
The activists also questioned in public whether Trump’s actions were actually motivated by concerns about anti-Semitism and civil rights on campus.
According to critics, the Trump administration allegedly abused anti-Semitism as a pretext to impose itself more control over academic activity. Additionally, they point out that little attention has been paid to pro-Palestine student harassment and even violent behavior.
The Trump administration released a list of obligations Harvard must comply with in April as the school suffered significant funding cuts.
Those demands included ending the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, accepting an audit of its student admissions, and changing its disciplinary practices.
However, Harvard resisted, becoming the first top university to do so. Alan Garber, president of the university, stated that his views on the demands were infringing on academic freedom.
Trump has since threatened to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status and, among other things, to a ban on accepting international students.
